Residents should boil their water before drinking it or using it for cooking to kill harmful microbes that may have entered the water system, health officials said. The order is issued as a precautionary step following water main breaks.

Call United Water at 845-623-1500 Ext. 2225 or the county health department at 845-364-2608 for more information.

The 16-inch water main ruptured around 1 p.m. Thursday and badly damaged the southbound lane just north of the one-way tunnel, lifting the pavement as much as six to eight inches in places, said Andy Connors, deputy superintendent of the Rockland County highway department.

"There is about 150 feet of the road that is buckled right now," Connors said. "We're not really sure how bad the break is."

The two-lane road is closed from the tunnel near Fifth Avenue to O'Grady Court.

United Water New York said in a news release that customers in areas of West Nyack, Pearl River and Blauvelt may have discolored water, low water pressure or no water — particularly along the Sickletown Road corridor south of Townline Road.

A spokeswoman did not respond to a message seeking details about the incident.

The Pearl River school district had to change its school bus drop-off procedure because of the closure.

Connors said road repairs are expected to begin on Friday; the northbound lane is still being assessed for damage.